JUPITER: A detailed guide of largest planet of solar system

INTRODUCTION

Jupiter, largest planet of the solar system and ranks fifth in terms of distance from the Sun. It is one of the most visible objects in the night sky, rivalling only the Moon, Venus, and, on occasion, Mars. Its whirling clouds are tinted by a variety of trace gases, including ammonia ice, ammonium hydrosulphide crystals, and water vapour. Planet Jupiter has the shortest day compared to all other planets of the solar system. Planet Jupiter has the second most number (after Saturn) of the known moons in our solar system. Jupiter’s moon ‘Ganymede’ is the largest moon of our solar system, which is bigger than the planets Mercury and Pluto (dwarf planet). The mass of Jupiter is approximately 318 times the earth.

PLANET FEATURES

Fact of Jupiter

Equator circumference: 439,264km
Radius: 69,911km
Average distance from Sun: 778 million km/ 5.2 astronomical units (AU)
Surface temperature: -110°C
Surface gravity: 24.79 m/s² or 2.528 g₀
Surface area: 6.1469 X 10¹⁰Km²or 120.4 Earths
Volume: 1.4313 X 10¹⁵ Km³ or 1321 Earths
Mass: 1.8982 X 10²⁷ Kg or 317.8 Earths or 0.001 of Sun
Escape Velocity: 59.5 m/s
Mean density: 1.326 g/cm³
Day length: 10 Hours
Year length: 4,333 Earth days (12 Years)
Sunlight travel time: 40 Minutes (Average)
Average orbital speed: 29,236mph (13.07km/s)
Moons: 95 Approx. (Largest – Ganymede, Smallest – S/2010 J 2 or Jupiter LII)
Planet type: Jovian
Composition: Hydrogen, Helium, Methane, Ammonia, Hydrogen deuteride, Ethane, Water

HISTORY OF DISCOVERY

No one can clearly say when or who discovered Jupiter. Why is it so difficult? It is one of five planets visible in the night sky. Only Venus and the Moon shine brighter. Frankly, it’s practically difficult to miss. Galileo Galilei made the first thorough observations of this planet in 1610, using a small handmade telescope. More recently, this planet has been visited by orbiters, probes, and spacecraft passing through on their way to another planet.

The first spacecraft to reach Jupiter was NASA’s Pioneer 10 in 1973, followed by Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 and 2. Later, the Galileo spacecraft orbited the gas giant for more than eight years before dropping a probe into its atmosphere. NASA’s Juno probe has been investigating Jupiter from orbit since July 2016. The Europa Clipper mission will launch in October 2024 to research Jupiter’s ice moon Europa.

ATMOSPHERE OF JUPITER

Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet, has a massive and complicated atmosphere to match its size. Jupiter’s atmosphere is occupied by Hydrogen (about 90%) and Helium (about 10%), and it closely resembles that of a star, reflecting its largely light gas composition. Other elements including as Methane, Ammonia, water vapor, and sulfur compounds are present in trace amounts, contributing to the planet’s distinct and colorful cloud bands.

Jupiter’s atmosphere is most notable for its dense bands of clouds, which are separated into brighter and darker belts that ring the planet. These bands are propelled by intense jet streams travelling at up to 400 mph (640 km/h), resulting in dynamic and turbulent weather patterns. The different colours of the bands are caused by the clouds’ various chemical compositions, temperatures, and altitudes, with Ammonia ice creating the highest clouds and more complex compounds such as ammonium hydrosulphide and water ice at lower levels.

One of Jupiter’s most recognisable characteristics is the Great Red Spot, a massive storm larger than Earth that has been blazing for at least 350 years. This anticyclonic storm is a high-pressure region with winds of roughly 270 mph (432 km/h) and a crimson tint, which is most likely caused by chemical processes in the atmosphere or the presence of complex organic molecules.

Jupiter’s atmosphere also contains intense storms and lightning that are more powerful than those observed on Earth, caused by the planet’s tremendous heat from its interior, which emits more energy than it absorbs from the Sun. The atmosphere progressively transforms into a thick layer of liquid metallic hydrogen deeper into the planet, where tremendous pressures and temperatures convert hydrogen to a conductive, metallic state. This environment generates Jupiter’s immense magnetic field, the biggest in the solar system, which extends millions of kilometres into space and influences its many moons.

EXPLORATION OR MISSION TO JUPITER

Jupiter, our solar system’s gas giant, has been the subject of several exploration expeditions. Pioneer 10 and 11 were the first spacecraft to fly past Jupiter in the early 1970s, capturing the first close-up photos. The Voyager 1 and 2 missions in 1977 provided precise information about Jupiter’s moons, rings, and magnetic field. Galileo, launched in 1989, was the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, examining its atmosphere and finding indications of underground oceans on its moons. More recently, the Juno mission, launched in 2011, continues to investigate Jupiter’s composition, gravity, and magnetic fields.

Mission Name	Launch Date	Operator	Result
Pioneer 10	3rd March 1972	NASA	Successful
Pioneer 11	6th April 1973	NASA	Successful
Voyager 2	20th August 1977	NASA	Successful
Voyager 1	5th September 1977	NASA	Successful
Galileo Project	18th October 1989	NASA	Successful
Ulysses	6th October 1990	NASA/ESA	Successful
Cassini-Huygens	15th October 1997	NASA/ESA	Successful
New Horizons	19th January 2006	NASA	Successful
Juno	5th August 2011	NASA	Operational
Juice	14th April 2023	ESA	En route

POTENTIAL FOR LIFE

Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, presents an intriguing yet intimidating environment when thinking about the possibility of life. Jupiter, a gas giant made up mostly of Hydrogen (H) and Helium (He), with intense gravity, crushing atmospheric pressures and powerful radiation bands. The planet’s atmosphere is also characterised by intense storms, like as the well-known Great Red Spot, which has been raging for aeons. While these conditions make life on Jupiter exceedingly unlikely, some scientists believe that life could exist in its upper atmosphere. Temperatures and pressures are more moderate here, and complex chemical compounds have been discovered, implying that airborne bacteria could exist. However, the lack of a stable, habitable surface and the planet’s harsh radiation environment make it difficult. More fascinating is the potential that Jupiter’s moons, particularly Europa, contain underground oceans underneath their icy crusts, where circumstances could be more favourable for life.

CONCLUSION

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is a massive gas giant with a fascinating and complicated atmosphere. Its famous Great Red Spot, a gigantic storm, has raged for decades, demonstrating the planet’s volatile nature. Jupiter is of great scientific interest due to its powerful magnetic field and more than 90 moons, notably the interesting Galilean moons. Its enormous size and gravitational pull shaped the solar system’s origin and evolution. Jupiter, as a natural laboratory for studying planetary processes, remains a focus of inquiry, providing vital insights into the mysteries of our cosmic neighbourhood.

JUPITER: Features, Discovery, Atmosphere, Mission, Possibilities of Life!!

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